8 Tips Every Man Should Know About Custom Dress Pants

In a world of run-of-the-mill trousers, custom dress pants reign supreme. Each pair you purchase will have the look, the length, the style and the handcrafted details you want and need.

Of course, to truly put the “custom” in custom pants, you must know exactly what you’re looking for. What material should your pants be made from? How should each part look and feel? How can you be sure that your trousers make a fashion statement?

Maybe it’s starting to sound as though buying custom pants is like taking the SAT. Don’t worry. Just follow these handy pointers, and you’ll be fast on your way to custom-dress-pant-greatness.

1. Choose Fabrics Wisely

When you’re looking at fabrics, you might be primarily concerned with how they look and what they cost. However, you should also think about where and when you’ll be wearing your new pants. If your workplace tends to be warm, or if you plan to wear these pants during outdoor functions, you’ll want fabrics that will keep you cooler. Linen and cotton are good examples.

On the other hand, if you’re selecting a new pair of pants to wear during winter — or if your coworkers love to blast the air conditioning regardless of the temperature outside — you’ll probably want a heavier material such as wool to keep your legs warm.

2. Select the Right Brand

Choosing a luxury brand for your custom dress pants is like choosing a luxury car. As a buyer with discerning tastes, you’ll have something that’s made with the finest methods and materials. When you leave home, you’ll look sleeker and chicer. You may feel a surge of confidence every time you hit the road. Plus, this prized possession should last a lot longer than an inferior product.

In short, with a pair of trousers from a renowned name like Brioni or Canali, you’ll be buttoning up pure class each time you put them on.

3. Get a Leg Up

Be specific when telling your tailor how your pant legs should fit, and look for a happy medium between tight and loose. Your pant legs should give you some room, but they shouldn’t droop or flap in the breeze.

In addition, one long crease per leg is ideal, and you’ll probably look more stylish and svelte if your pants lack pleats.

4. Accessorize Correctly

If you take pride in your pants, you want others to notice them, too. Above all, you don’t want your accessories to detract from the beauty of those fine pantaloons.

First, you should wear shoes and belts that match one another in color. If they clash, they’ll distract your fashion-savvy friends. On top of that, over-the-calf socks are essential; you won’t show off any flesh when you wear them. By the way, your socks should match your pants as opposed to your shoes.

An Italian leather walletwill complete the power player effect you may be going for. As a bonus, every time you whip that wallet out with panache, you may get someone to look at your pants.

5. Get Hemmed

Be sure to get your custom dress pants hemmed. It will add an extra touch of elegance to your overall outfit. Also, it will allow you to choose the exact length of your pant legs as well as how your pants break.

6. Mind Your Waistband

As is true of your pant legs, your waistband shouldn’t be too restricting nor too slack. If it’s too narrow, you’ll feel it all day long. It could squeeze your stomach, and it might leave a red mark on your skin.

At the same time, if your waistband is overly loose, you’ll have to worry about your pants dropping down a little and your shirttail slipping out.

If you find that your waistband is presenting you with any of these difficulties, don’t hesitate to get your pants altered. Merely tightening your belt or leaving your pants unbuttoned is not an effective solution.

7. Pants That Are Lined Are Extra Fine

Linings are valuable in a few ways. They can make pants warmer and more comfortable to wear, they keep wrinkling to a minimum, and they help keep trousers pristine for longer periods of time. Simply put, it’s well worth it to request lining.

8. Trust Your Tailor

In a way, this piece of advice supersedes the seven tips above. That’s because you can ask your tailor about any aspect of your dress pants. As long as you’re working with a reputable pro, he or she will know exactly what’s in style and which pant attributes would work best for your shape, size, occupation, preferences and so forth. The pair of pants that emerges from this collaboration will be unique and entirely yours.

If only such an expert were available for every avenue of life, human beings wouldn’t have any problems at all.

There you have it. Somewhere out there, a tailor is waiting to make your custom dress pants, an article of clothing formal enough to make you feel like a king but relaxed enough to make you feel like yourself.

About Ralph Lauretta

Ralph is a co-owner of Sal Lauretta for Men. His areas of expertise include custom clothing as well as being the primary clothing buyer for the store. When not at work you can find him hanging out with his family, reorganizing his garage or watching a Denver Broncos game.